Three cleaners on the NHS frontline at one hospital lose their lives after contracting coronavirus

Terri-Ann Williams, Digital Health & Fitness Reporter

May 13 2020, 10:31 ET

Updated: May 14 2020, 3:09 ET

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THREE cleaners who worked for the same hospital in London have died after contracting coronavirus.

Salih Hasan, Fyngs Mullings and a third cleaner whose family requested he not be named all worked for private cleaning giant Mitie.

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Fyngs Mullings and Salih Hasan were both workers at the hospital

Their deaths highlight the risks many key workers are taking just to do their jobs every day.

So far 280 patients have died of Covid-19 at St George’s in Tooting and the three cleaners were part of a team looking after wards and corridors at the hospital.

When asked if the deaths were related to coronavirus, St George’s said they could not confirm the cause of the deaths at this time. But Mitie said two were Covid-19 related.

The hospital released a statement having agreed with their respective families for the news to be shared publicly.

Jacqueline Totterdell, chief executive at St George’s Hospital, said: “This is deeply sad news for everyone at St George’s. Our Mitie colleagues are all a key part of Team St George’s, and many staff have been deeply affected by the sad deaths of Salih and Fyngs in recent weeks.

"Salih and Fyngs were very popular and well-liked faces on our wards, and committed to doing the very best job possible for staff, patients and their relatives.

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"They will be missed by everyone who knew them, and at this difficult time, our thoughts are with their families, who kindly agreed for us to share the news of their sad deaths with colleagues, and the communities we serve."

Mitie said: “All three were true gentlemen and will be incredibly missed.”

A statement on the trust’s website said: “Our thoughts are with the families of the patients affected – and, in all cases, we would ask that their privacy is respected at this time."

In March the government issued guidelines as to what PPE should be worn by cleaners who were working on wards where Covid patients were being treated. PPE is issued to all contractors by the NHS.

On March 26 it stated: "The minimum PPE to be worn for cleaning an area where a person with possible or confirmed coronavirus is disposable gloves and an apron. Hands should be washed with soap and water for 20 seconds after all PPE has been removed."

Earlier this week the hospital had also appealed for cash funding to find out why more people from ethnic minorities had died from the virus.

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So far in the UK there have been over 33,000 deaths from the coronavirus and Dr Sally Hargreaves at the hospital said it was important that people from ethnic minorities were not being “left behind” when it comes to treatment of the virus.

She added: "We need to engage migrant community leaders and to ask them about what they’ve seen in their communities and what they think of the UK approach, public health messaging, what they think about vaccines, and how it has impacted their community."

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